Re: romancing, er, marketing, the shtehtl

[Alex J. Lubet <lubet001...>]

Responding to the message of <3A5918D2(dot)D0961BCE (at) cloud9(dot)net>
from jbgordon (at) cloud9(dot)net:
> 
> i dont think it is teribly important to our topic, but yes spielberg said 
> that
> it was based on his own family story, but the film itself has no reference to
> judaism and fivl was a christmas tree ornament.
> it is a classic case of a goy on the street and a jew at home. just business,
> nothing personal. you know, a marketing decision. a case of what i think of 
> as
> the vampire approach to jewish culture. taking from it, not contributing back 
> to
> it. but then with the money one makes, one can do tshuva...  or am i being 
> too
> hard. think of all the happy intermarried families that were able to put a
> jewish mouse on the tree.
> all right, enough said.
> jonathan gordon
> 
I don't know if this is bragging rights, but in my never-performed (except in 
minimally produced fragments) 1992 rock opera Between a Rock of Ages and an Hard
Rock Cafe, I take Spielberg to task for the marketing of An American Tail as an 
Xmas movie.  As I note this, I understand why no one ever produced it.  It lives
on principally as a story, which people have enjoyed while also worrying over my
sanity.



Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music
Adjunct Professor of American Studies
University of Minnesota
2106 4th St. S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612 624-7840 612 624-8001 (fax)

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